Former Managing Director of Daily Times Group, Akogun Tola Adeniyi (aka Aba Saheed) is unhappy about the state of the nation. He speaks with Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME on herdsmen/farmers crises, his exile in the United Kingdom, why he published his new book. In the belly of vultures, his desire to return to theatre, among other things.
How timely is your new book titled: In the belly of vultures?
It is very timely. When we talk of vultures, we are actually talking of those who have turned Nigeria’s commonwealth into carcasses and they are feeding on carcasses. The vultures are also growing into vampires feeding on peoples’ blood. So, Nigeria is in the belly of vampires. It is very timely. My second book In the belly of vampire, then Nigeria in the belly of military, which has been written long time ago. I shelved the publishing in 2009.
Publishing the new book is as a result of pressure from friends, seniors, colleagues and younger generation Nigerians who want the opportunity to see all my articles in one volume. That is why I called it a legacy project, which I want to bequeathe to Nigerians. It contains 1238 pages of ledger size without illustration or pictures. It has few of my poems I wrote in the early 60s. But the poems are originally in Yoruba, but translated into English.
What is the story behind your pen name Aba Sahed?
Aba Saheed was a creation of Alhaji Babatunde Jose while at the Daily Times. In 1973, my columns at that time were extremely critical of Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s administration. There was a particular edition of my column published in Daily Times and was part of northern and eastern edition that had gone for distribution to states. One Mr. Nameh read through the column and said it was too hot. He drew Jose’s attention to it and all copies that had gone to the north and east were recalled. That day, 130,000 copies of Daily Times were recalled and burnt. So, on that day Daily Times was not sold in the north and east.
Who bore the cost of the recall?
The management did.
And you were not sanctioned?
No. I was a spoilt child of the paper then. Jose really loved me and took extreme care of me. He enjoyed my writings.
Was that how Aba Saheed came to be?
No. But when I was being hunted and harassed by security operatives, Jose called me and asked, ‘don’t you have a Muslim name?’ I said yes and that my Muslim name is Saheed. So, he said why not adopt the pen name Aba Saheed so that when I write they will think am a northerner. Again, that time each time I wrote, I quoted profusely from Quran. And after I adopted Aba Saheed for the satirical column, I was not invited by the police any more. For two to three years, they thought I was a northerner.
That speaks volume of the leadership challenge in Nigeria. Recall that past head of states like Gowon, Babangida, Abacha to some extent were actually not accepted by the core northern establishment. We knew when Gowon was Head of State the power behind the throne was Murtala Muhammed. Several times, Murtala Muhammed would shout him down at the Federal Executive meeting. I know that Babangida to a large extent asserted himself as president. But when he appointed Maccido as Sultan of Sokoto, it was overturned after few weeks. Malami was not the candidate of Babangida. Aba Saheed gave me some anonymity for some time. In Evening Times alone, I was writing 12 columns in a week.
How do you manage your time as columnist and features writer?
When I was Ombudsman I was doing my beat of feature writing, my investigation and writing my columns too. Again, I was still the Literary Editor of Daily Times at that time reviewing books and music. That was what brought Fela and I close. When I launched my poetry books at Ibadan in 1974, Fela brought two large buses to the event. I was still reviewing plays, exhibition and music, which were not my normal schedule. I was also writing a column in Sunday Times too.
My satire column was influenced by two key writers, Kafka and Sad Sam (Sam Amuka-Pemu).
Can we say satire as a genre of literary work is an escapist approach or a cover?
It is more of a cover than escapist approach. You make stronger effect when you lampooned people and don’t know until they read between the lines.
Is your recently-launched book Inside the belly of Vultures your first to be published by Canada University Press?
Aba Saheed and Theatre on wheels were republished by Canada University Press. I founded Canada-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce. I also founded Africa-Canada Chamber of Commerce to promote trade between Nigeria and Canada and between Africa and Canada.
When I founded the Canada-Nigeria Chamber of Commerce, I was not the first chairman or president. I allowed members to run the association. Mine was to create the idea and allow members to run it.
What’s your take on the herdsmen-farmers crises across the country?
If the agenda of President Buhari is not checkmated from continuing the drive of Uthman Dan Fodio to recolonise Nigeria, a time will come when Nigerians will say enough is enough. People are being killed in Zamfara, Benue, Plateau, Enugu, Edo and Delta states. A time will come when Nigerians will see through the real intensions. We know that those killers are not the cow owners. They are mere messengers.
There is no comparison between Boko Haram and herdsmen. Boko Haram was the fallout of almajiris and other jobless individuals in that part of the country who were used and dumped by politicians seeking power. If you recall, one or two commissioners under Shettima’s administration in Borno State were indicted then. In fact, Boko Haram was on a vengeance mission. This was to show their anger and attract Federal Government’s attention. At a later time, international interest came in, and Boko Haram became internationalised and that is where we are today. Some politicians took advantage of this and fed fat from the crisis. Like the late General Sani Abacha said, if insurgence lasted more than a year, it means the government was involved.
The unending killing by herdsmen has shown why Muhammadu Buhari insisted on running for presidency for four times. He had an agenda and his interest was not to govern Nigeria but to execute that agenda.
How do we avert this?
I don’t know. I cannot sit down here and assume that I know all the answers to Nigeria’s problems. I think they should allow wisdom to prevail. If those who are bent on recolonising Nigeria apply common sense and wisdom to guide them, they will retrace their steps. Roman Empire consisted of many conquered lands and all the lands got their freedom. And Roman Empire disintegrated and collapsed. There was the British Commonwealth, Spanish and Portuguese, all these people conquered and that colonised people, but that is no more the case. No sensible group of human beings should be laying claim to occupation or domination by conquest. That era has gone. The Germans conquered Britain, but they are not ruling the Britons. So, you cannot say that because you conquered Ilorin at a time, therefore there should be an emir there, when Ilorin is more than 95 percent Yoruba.The same thing happened in Nasarawa, Bauchi and Plateau states. You cannot continue to put emir in every village. What will solve the problem of Nigeria is application of wisdom, knowledge and intellect.
I believe that Nigeria as a hugely populated country is an asset to the people of brown skin all over the world. To that extent, I still believe in the largeness of Nigeria. I would rather stay in a big Nigeria than stay in Oduduwa Republic. But, heaven said that, I would rather prefer to stay in a free Oduduwa Republic or Biafra Republic than stay in a Nigeria that does not guarantee peace, equity and justice.
You are wearing many caps as chief, yet you are not looking at the direction of politics. Why?
In 1981, when I did the formal opening of my house at Ijebu, Baba Jose wrote me saying my son you are on your way to real big time politics. Brigadier Johnson, Gen Danjuma, Prof Ambrose Alli and other prominent Nigerians were all there. Alaafin of Oyo came to open the house. I was around 40 years then. To be honest with you, I have never been attracted to playing partisan politics. Since my Tribune days, I have always known that votes don’t count in anywhere in the world. It is the counter of votes that count. So, if I was raised in Canada or US, I probably would have gone into politics. Even now, I am a political consultant to politicians. I do more of strategic thinking for politicians.
Politics is a no go area for me. I don’t think Nigeria because of its antecedent and the way it was born can really, truly and honestly practise democracy. I also believe democracy does not exist anywhere in the world. What exists in the world is either plutocracy or plutogachy.
Plutocracy is a government run by rich people over the poor people. Plutogachy is a government of rich people using oligarchy (using money to buy thugs). It becomes so pronounced in Nigeria because of low level of education and serious poverty where someone’s vote can be bought with Trebor peppermint or N500. Unfortunately, decent men in Nigeria shy away from partisan politics and allowed the country to be ruled by those who have no business in governance.
For how long are we going to remain in the mess?
We have to allow the passage of the military and its offshoot that have tasted power. I presented a paper at Otta in April 1964 and predicted that the military and its offshoot will rule Nigeria for 20 years. Military was the only group that has money and coercion. And money will continue to play a major role in determining politics. Until that generation passes away, we are not likely to have true politics in Nigeria because those who have money belong to that class. To be a candidate for a local chairman, you need N1 billion. It is so expensive. I cannot imagine a professor or a lecturer going into that. So, those who are likely going to venture into politics are those that have come by money other than open.
Those who will venture into politics and make it are those who have cornered big cash.
How worried are you of the Nigeria we are handing over to our children?
I think we have been very unfair to the younger generation. Again, Yoruba would say Eshin iwaju ni tehin wo sare (the horse in the front is what those behind take queue from). I don’t think my generation and those after me laid good examples for the younger ones to follow. Also, the youth have been pauperised and impoverished that they can hardly survive. Many cannot even buy soap to wash their clothes. Even though they are adult biological, they are still children. We had selfish rulers and we never had leaders except in the days of Awolowo and Azikiwe. Today, governors are semi-god in their states. The youth do not have role model to inspire them in a way. And we are handing over to them, a building that has cracks and almost collapsing. I don’t know how they will patch it and make it stand. I am worried for them and Nigeria. If you meet anybody of my age 73 to 75, and he said he is at peace with himself, it is a lie. Most of us don’t have sound sleep and never happy even if we have children in oversees that are doing well. The realisation that bulk of Nigerians are entrapped in the about to collapse building should worry you. And it worries quite a number of Nigerians.
You worked in leading newspapers in Southwest, UK and Canada as writer. What happened to the theatre in you?
If I say am fulfilled as a writer, that will not be telling the whole story. Truly, and honestly, I don’t think I am totally fulfilled. When I was growing up, my fortress was the theatre and many thought I was going to major in theatre and raise a theatre group. At the University of Ibadan, I was the president of Dramatic Society and Africulture Society.
When I enrolled at the university, there was no degree course in drama at UI. So, I settled for English language. But when the opportunity came for me to do a Masters 10 years later, I opted for theatre. It was on the scholarship of Daily Times at Lancaster University, UK.
I would have loved to be in theatre. That is why in 2010, I founded the Tola Adeniyi Theatre Art Foundation. Unfortunately, it has not been functional. If I come by big fortune, I will revive my love for theatre. I consider myself as a writer in journalism.
What is your take on the Lagos State’s recent law on preservation of Yoruba language?
It is long overdue. Every part of ethnic nationality in Nigeria should follow suit. I will be glad to see every state conduct its assembly matters in their language.
Which of the newspapers you worked do you relish the most?
It is a dicey question, but it will be between Daily Times and Tribune.
What is the story behind your exile?
I left Nigeria in 1993 during the Abacha’s administration after I was detained. I later went on exile and while there my late friend Dr. Chuba Okadigbo suggested we took up teaching at Lancaster University, UK for two years before relocating to Canada with my wife and children.
